


Watch her Fall

by Curlupanddiebutterfly



Category: Maximum Ride - James Patterson
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Depressing, Gen, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 01:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16630283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Curlupanddiebutterfly/pseuds/Curlupanddiebutterfly
Summary: Maximum ride one shot Set after 'Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports.' Read if you feel like crying, I'm sorry to do this but I thought I could get a good one shot so please read and review. Feel free to ask questions and I will answer when I can! Okay enjoy.





	Watch her Fall

Maximum ride one shot

Set after 'Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports.' Read if you feel like crying, I'm sorry to do this but I thought I could get a good one shot so please read and review. Feel free to ask questions and I will answer when I can! Okay enjoy.

Watch Her Fall:

MAX POV

We landed almost silently in a field of wild flowers. It looked like someone had taken a green, grassy field and covered it with rainbow splotches here and there. It was downright beautiful, coming from me. I don't like a lot of things, if I'm being honest. But one thing that I do love, and one thing that will never change is my adoration for nature. The peace and quiet of the flock appreciating such a beautiful sight just tugs at my heart. It had been roughly two months since we'd met back up with the boys. My boys. Two months of undisturbed happiness, and a pinch of foreboding. Two months is too long, and while I've enjoyed every second, I just know that we aren't done with the whole school situation. Hence why we haven't let our guard down, not once.

So, I lay here, breathing in my surroundings. The fresh, clean oxygen nature has provided, whilst my right-hand man does the same right next to me. My flock and I position in a circle, our legs out in front of us, our hands behind us holding us up, staring at the clear blue sky. My family is all here. Except of course my blood family. But I can deal with that later. To my right Fang. To Fang's right, Iggy. To Iggy's, Gazzy. To Gazzy's, Nudge. And to Nudge's, Angel. With Total curled up at our feet, I felt as complete as I have felt in, well, ages. And just for a moment I felt myself relax. For one tiny moment I was completely and utterly unaware of my surroundings. Knowing my life, that tiny moment was enough for and net to spring out of nowhere and cover us. It was held down by light-weight anchors, kind of like a fly-fishing net. But, with my flock and I held down, we were rendered vulnerable, no matter how much we struggled none of us could manage to get free. We were snatched up by a helicopter that had lowered itself down into the clearing. Our net was hooked to the belly of it and we were whisked away, soaring through the sky. Definitely not in the way any of us enjoyed. Nor was our destination anywhere we would've chosen.

My consciousness crept up on me. This was literally my fault. If I hadn't let my guard down, we could've had a chance. My face must've ratted me out, because fang spoke up, almost yelling over the chopper to be heard.

"It's not your fault, you can't blame yourself." He gave me an understanding grimace, but it was gone, and he was back to Mr. show no emotion. I sighed and looked up, expecting to see disappointed faces of the flock. I was wrong, my eyes met with eyes full of fear, anger and tears. I felt my heart rip in two. I had done this to them. I let them down. It is my fault. I let one tear slip from my own eyes. Just to let them know. I couldn't speak. I can't. I'm not going to risk crying in front of them. I need to be strong. We were incredibly squished in this net, with the whole gravity thing and all. But I managed to reach the dagger I keep strapped to my ankle. I pulled it out and turned so I could see where I was going to cut easier. Once I turned, and my dagger touched the metal wires of the net, a brain explosion went off in my head. I screamed and screamed. I screamed until I passed out, I didn't open my eyes until it had died down but once I did, I wish I didn't. I had seen the horror filled eyes, of my family. And that was the last thing I saw before my head snapped backwards and everything went black.

I'd left them like that. Vulnerable, without a leader. For all I know they could be dead. The school's security has bumped up a couple notches, considering they were smart enough to separate the flock from me. I have no clue where they are. And to be honest, I don't think this is the school, it's like a replica but not exactly. Given my history for naming almost everything, I decided on calling the facility. It was the same old, same old, blood tests, experiments, mazes, obstacle courses. But this time they added combat, instead of making me run from the erasers, they would lock us in a room and only let us come out when the other blacked out. I think it's fair to say the erasers are definitely a new batch, because they are no longer clumsy, yet I can still kick their ass.

After what had felt like years of this, but was probably a week or less, they put me in a room. The room was white and completely empty. Except on the other side there was another door. I took a step into the room and noticed that there was a crystal-clear wall of glass directly in the middle of the room. It'd have to be a few feet thick. I took in my surroundings, as the door popped open on the other side, a young woman stepped through the doorway. She looked to be about in her twenties, with red-dish hair, and that evil glint in her eyes. She was wearing a white coat and a lunatics' grin.

"Maximum Ride, Oh my. Don't you look to be a damsel in distress." She said sweetly. I snarled. "I've waited for this, Max. I'm Dr. Dwyer, Brigid Dwyer." Her sickly grin just widened, and without a word from me, she left. Five people and a dog replaced her. I smiled so happy to see them. I had been tearing my hair out on the fact of their state of living ever since I blacked out in the net. They looked happy to see me but sad shone through their grins. Then two more people stepped through, and boy was I happy to see their faces. My mom, and my half-sister. They must know the news because they looked just as happy to see me. Now to make this better, we need to get rid of this stupid glass wall, escape, and find somewhere safe for the nine of us to be. I started yelling at them, to give me any ideas on how to escape. But they just gave me a puzzled look. I don't think they can hear me. So instead I sat down, I breathed on the glass and wrote 'plan?' They just shook their heads in defeat. We stayed there for a little while, and I let what really was happening sink in. Just by existing I brought my mom, my sister, and my family into this mess. Now they are paying for my existence. It would've been easier if I was never born or made. The suddenly the door opened, and something wrapped in bubble wrap was thrown in on my side, and at the very same time, nine erasers with guns walked in, on my family's side. They lined up on the wall and motioned for my family to line up the glass side of the wall. Another nine erasers joined them and forced them to their knees, facing the glass wall, their hands on their heads, they all stared at me. Fear filled every one of their eyes, except one, Fang's. His were cold with determination. I was shocked. I couldn't register what I was seeing. I didn't know what was going to happen.

FANG POV

No one moved, except Max. Who suddenly sprung from where she was sitting. There was something wrapped in bubble wrap at her feet. Her mouth flew open in what I assume was a gasp, her hand covered her mouth and her eyes only showed one emotion: shock.

"Angel what is she doing?" I yelled out, while everyone watched her, bewildered. Max was staring at nothing in particular, but her eyes flew across the glass wall, was there something there?

"The glass…. The glass is showing max something, it's kind of like a hallucination. She sees us all on our knees, with our hands behind our heads, facing the glass wall. She sees us staring at her, we are all scared. Behind us there is nine of the new erasers, and behind them against the back wall is nine more erasers with guns. I'm trying to send her a thought to tell her that it's not real but it's like the glass stops it, it's like I can see what she's thinking but I can't see her a thought." She turned to me, her eyes spilling with tears. Max is seeing things and we can't stop her. I can't save my Max, I have no idea to get out of this one. So, on instinct the seven of us wreaked as much havoc, and hell. We had to stop her from seeing what she's seeing. We have to show her it's a lie.

MAX POV

They're all lined up. I screamed and started banging on the glass, but they all just stared. Each and every one of them just gave an apologetic look. They've given up, if they try something they'll get hurt, if I try something they'll get hurt. That witch, Brigid discovered my weakness. My family. If they gave up I would too, until I saw an opportunity. So, I stepped away from the wall and stopped screaming profanities. I nodded to the wall and sat on the floor against the opposite wall. I decided to check what the bubble wrap held, which is something I have no clue why they'd provide me with a weapon. Stupid move on their part, I think. I look back over at my flock and did nothing. I guess that was a mistake because some idiot of a bone head let the sound turn back through as the erasers shared a glance and snickered at me. I was confused, until I heard the click of a gun an followed the sound. I watched as they pulled the trigger and total, he was the one to take the shot. Right through the backs of his head, and out between his eyes. Blood splattered all over the glass wall so thick that I could barely see the now dead, Scottie dog. I felt bile slowly rising in my throat and heard an ear-piercing scream. Only it was my scream which was joined by Ella, Nudge, and Angel's cries. I had no clue on what to do. I was frozen. Fear gripped my heart as I realised just what they were going to do…

I heard the same click of the barrel of the next gun. I was still frozen. The next person in line was my mom. The mom I lacked growing up. The mom I'd only had for around two months. I never got to be a daughter to her. And now I never will.

'BANG' I screamed some more as I watched my mothers lifeless body slump against the wall, eyes still open and staring at me. I screamed, and cried, tears running like waterfalls from my eyes. I can't watch them do this. But it's like an invisible force is keeping me from moving. Once again, the shift of barrel and the all-to-familiar-but-I-will-never-get-used-to BANG. I haven't stopped screaming. I haven't stopped crying. And now my half-sister lay lifeless against the glass wall, joining my mother and total. I should've stayed away. They would have still been alive. They could've been happy. There was a click but this time I didn't see it, this time I heard it. I stared into the eyes of my poor, helpless little baby. Her blue, innocent eyes, filled with tears, and my brown eyes the same. I shut my eyes and tears still managed to leak through while I listened to the bang once more. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a hole in between my gorgeous little Angel's eyes. She's gone too. I can't take any more of this. I just can't. I started to pray, to whatever god I believed I hoped, and prayed he'd help me and my family, well the ones that were left. I was on my knees now staring into Gazzy's eyes. The ones he shared with his baby sister. His sister, that we both just lost. He shared her blood, her blonde hair and blue eyes. They shared their oh-so-innocent smiles, and bambi eyes. Now she was gone, and soon he would be too. I mouthed "I'm sorry" to him, he just shook his head and gave me a brave smile. My little trooper. He'd always stayed so strong. Even when facing certain death, he managed to give me one last smile. BANG. More tears. More screams. More heartache. I peeled my eyes from my now dead family members and looked in the mocha eyes of my beautiful Nudge. Tears spilled down her cheeks, she was crying silently. I read her eyes loud and clear. FEAR. My little sister is so, so scared. And I'm about to lose her too. I thought how all she wanted to do was find her mom and for all of us to be happy. I can only pray that she will be happy, in heaven that is. No more whitecoats, no more erasers, no more running. We were cruelly brought into this world and now they are being taken out of it. I'm being left behind. I quickly blew her a kiss and mouthed I'm sorry. I really am. This is all my fault. BANG. My tears ran down my cheeks once again. My throat screamed again. Even when I thought I had no voice left, or when I thought I had no tears left, more just came. My Nudge lay lifelessly against the wall still staring into my eyes. Hers had lost all life. Just like her body did. I miss them already. God come back! I once again turned my gaze to the next in line. My bomb building, excellent chef, sexist pig, sarcastic, blind, brother Iggy. I did the same as I had done to all of them, I told them I was sorry. I was sorry that o couldn't help them I'm sorry that I let them die like this. I'm sorry that I did this. I'm sorry but I only wish that they are happy. BANG. I screamed until my lungs burned, I stared into her siblings, now lifeless eyes, I watched his soul leave his body behind and watched as he lies still against the clear glass wall. I knew who was next. I'd lost almost everyone. Total, Mom, Ella, Angel, Gazzy, Nudge, Iggy, the only person left is Fang. Fang, my right-hand man, the boy I grew up with, my second in command, they boy who I'd kissed not all that long ago on the beach as I though he was dying. This time he was going to die. And there was nothing I could do except watch. I told him I was sorry a thousand times, and I as I heard the barrel shift, my tongue blurted out something I'd only just realised. "I love you, Fang!" He stared at me bewildered.

"I love you too, Max." Fang said, and those words, the ones I'd been waiting to hear forever, towered above all the chaos, making everything else fall away. Whole universes were built and destroyed by those words. There were tears in his eyes. "God Max, I love you so much."

And with that being said he was gone too. I didn't hear the bang, but I didn't need to. Seeing the boy, I love, staring into my eyes with a bullet hole wedged between them, along with every other person or animal she cared about was enough to drive a girl mad. And it did just that.

FANG POV

No one moved, except Max. Who suddenly sprung from where she was sitting. There was something wrapped in bubble wrap at her feet. Her mouth flew open in what I assume was a gasp, her hand covered her mouth and her eyes only showed one emotion: shock.

"Angel what is she doing?" I yelled out, while everyone watched her, bewildered. Max was staring at nothing in particular, but her eyes flew across the glass wall, was there something there?

"The glass…. The glass is showing max something, it's kind of like a hallucination. She sees us all on our knees, with our hands behind our heads, facing the glass wall. She sees us staring at her, we are all scared. Behind us there is nine of the new erasers, and behind them against the back wall is nine more erasers with guns. I'm trying to send her a thought to tell her that it's not real but it's like the glass stops it, it's like I can see what she's thinking but I can't see her a thought." She turned to me, her eyes spilling with tears. Max is seeing things and we can't stop her. I can't save my Max, I have no idea to get out of this one. So, on instinct the seven of us wreaked as much havoc, and hell. We had to stop her from seeing what she's seeing. We have to show her it's a lie.

…

"Angel why is she screaming?" I yelled at angel. She stayed quiet for a minute with a focused expression on her face.

"Total was just shot in the back of the head. She realised what they are going to do, she believes it. She knows they are going to go down the line until the last one. Next is, Dr. Martinez, then Ella, then me, then Gazzy, then Nudge, then Iggy, then lastly... you. Fang they're showing her, that we are going to die!" she yell-cried the last bit. I struggled to comprehend what exactly was happening, and before I knew it I was banging on the door screaming profanities and anything I could think of.

"What are you doing? Stop it's going to kill her; DO YOU HEAR ME? YOUR GOING TO KILL HER? SHE WON'T LIVE WITHOUT US, SHE CAN'T! Please. I can't live without her." I whispered the last part but I'm sure everyone heard me. No one was moving, not even Max. She was frozen, and her eyes were spilling more and more tears by the second. If she thinks she saw us die, she'll kill herself. Everyone she loves is in this room. Without us she wouldn't be able to go on. She'll die inside, and she'll do anything to kill herself. She'll kill everyone along with herself.

"Dr. M just got shot." Angel informed us. We watched as max stood still. We could hear her screams. Her tears were impossible to miss. Angel had sent us all the image she was seeing. Max was losing herself, and to her she was losing us too. "Ella."

We knew it wasn't a call, we knew Angel was telling us that Ella was the next person Max watched die. Angel showed us what max was seeing again. Everyone had tears in their eyes. Even me. I can't stand to see Max cry, or even upset I just can't.

"Me." Angel choked out through sobs. Another image. More screams and tears from Max. I could feel her pain. Physically, I could feel her heart tearing in two as if it was my own heart. "Gazzy, Nudge." Two more images invaded our minds, and I looked over at Gazzy and Nudge. Tears leaked from their own eyes, and despair hung from every drop of moisture. If I was hurting bad I wonder how Max's mom, or sister felt. Or Nudge and Angel, they both looked up to her so much. She was both their mother and sister. Then there's Gazzy, Max would hold his hand when he was scared, she'd make him feel safe, like the girls he looked up to her, she was his idol, and he was her little trooper. Angel let out another sigh. "Iggy."

I looked over at him, he cooked when Max couldn't. He always found a way to make something fun because deep feelings were never our thing. Even though Max is older than him, Iggy and I both know she looks at him as an older brother. I bet that Iggy Looks at her as his little sister too.

Angel turned to look at me with tear filled, blue eyes. She was only six, and she was going through something no one should have to. She couldn't say the next thing out loud. Her mouth wouldn't let her. So, she sent us a memory from Max's head.

"I love you, Fang!" she blurted out. "I love you too, Max." Fang said, and those words, the ones I'd been waiting to hear forever, towered above all the chaos, making everything else fall away. Whole universes were built and destroyed by those words. There were tears in his eyes. "God Max, I love you so much." I heard myself say it back, along with the thoughts Max had been thinking.

My heart snapped right then and there. In. two. Perfect. Halves.

I didn't fight the fact that I love her, because I do, I always have. But she thinks I'm gone. She thinks we're all gone. Max can't live like that. Let alone function.

We all watched as Max rose from her knees. She walked over to the bubble wrapped package and tore in open in one go. A dagger fell out. Max's Dagger. During it's fall it sliced a bit of Max's calf, yet she didn't even flinch. She didn't register the pain or even register the fact of what just happened. Instead the let herself bleed, as she bent down and tucked the dagger into her boot. She walked over to where I would imagine Total's body lying and gave the glass a quick peck and whispered what I assumed to be an 'I'm sorry' into the glass. She shuffled to her right and repeated her previous steps. She kissed each and every one of our spirits and apologised, telling us she loved us. Then she took a few steps back a centred herself in the room. She pulled the dagger from her boot and held it to her chest. Realisation hit me like a truck. I sprinted forward and was banging on the glass and screaming, everyone had followed my actions. Iggy was at the door doing the same as us. When we realised Max was speaking we stopped, instantly sending the room into silence. We all pressed ourselves against the glass to hear her final words.

"I'm so sorry guys, Total; I'm sorry that I let you join us, you would've been safe without us. You would still be here today. I love you, I'll see you soon. Mom, and Ella, I'm so, so, sorry that I did this. I'm sorry I wasn't a good daughter or sister; good daughters and sisters don't get their family killed. I should have never helped Ella that way, they could never have hurt you. But they did, and I can't express how sorry I am. I will make them pay! Angel, my baby, I wish you didn't have to live your life this way. I wished your life was happy and calm. I wish your life didn't involve running for your life, and eating from dumpsters, and fighting erasers, at the age of six. I wish your life lasted longer than six years, and I would've made sure that days of happiness would've been here soon. Gazzy, My little trooper. I am so proud of you. You've always been so strong. Even when you knew what was about to happen, you managed to give me one. Last. Smile. I'm sorry you didn't have a good life, I'm sorry that I let you down. I'm I let your life be lost. I'm sorry I didn't save you. Nudge, My little sister, My best friend. My Nudge. I'm so sad I'll never get to hear you ramble on again. I'm so sorry I cut your life short. I'm so sorry for existing because if I, as an experiment hadn't worked they wouldn't have made you, you would be living with your family and going to school like a normal 11-year-old. I'm sorry I didn't find your mom. I'm sorry I didn't save you, I'm sorry I got you killed. Iggy, the only worthy cook of gourmet food, the best bomb making-blowing-upperer. My big brother. I'm sorry I let you down. I'm sorry you'll never be able to cook again, or have a girlfriend, or just be a regular teenager like you should've been. I'm sorry I let this happen. Fang, Fang, Fang. There's not much I can say. But what I said before, was true, everything. I love you, and I'm proud of it. I'm so sorry I told you now. I'm so sorry you lived this life. But I will make it up to you I promise. I love you guys so much. I hope one day, you will forgive me."

Just as she said that, and tears that spilled from my eyes hit the floor. I watched her eyes ignite with fire, of all the rage she'd kept inside. She let it loose. I heard the fire alarms and realised Max had developed a new skill. Fire erupted from her side of the room. I heard screams, and wails of pain. And then, that very second. Max plunged the dagger into herself. Now I couldn't move. No one could. It was happening in slow motion. I watched as her body fell to the ground and as her breath became more and more shallow. I ran up to the glass wall and started smashing my way through. I got nowhere. And through that I realised I was yelling, screaming while the others stared in shock. I felt the dagger slice through me. I felt Max's last breath.

Maximum Ride had finally snapped. Maximum Ride had killed herself. And everyone is the facility.

"SOMEONE HELP HER! SHE'S DYING. HELP HER PLEASE. MAX STAY WITH ME YOU CAN DO THIS. STAY STRONG. I'M STILL HERE I NEVER LEFT PLEASE MAX, please… fight." I heard my self-voice.

Just then the door swung open and an eraser with a gun gave us a sickly grin then shot, Total, Dr. M, Ella, Angel, Gazzy, Nudge, Iggy. He turned to me and I stared at the lifeless forms of my flock and Max's family. Then over at Max's body. I turned and accepted my fate. I would see Max soon. BANG. I felt the shot pierce through me and just as I fell to the ground. I watched the eraser go up in flames taking the facility and everything inside with it.

Epilogue

So, in the end, Maximum Ride saved the world. It turned out she used the skill unleashed in her death that ended up engulfing every facility in the world. Every single school was gone. Every Itexicon building that might have survived. Every building and everyone in it. Too bad it took her life to save the worlds. But I'm happy

The world is in one piece and will be for a long time. Heaven is fun too. It's like well…. Heaven, I guess. The flock and I live on a tropical island covered in cliffs, trees, waterfalls, and more. The literal definition of paradise. We each have a tree house. Max and I, our houses are connected by a thick branch. The entrance to the houses is to fly. In total we had nine houses, total got one too. He was also rewarded with a purebred malamute. She called herself Akila and they were happy together. Iggy and Ella got together, and their treehouses connect like Max and I's. Up here in Heaven, Dr. M and Ella has wings, Ella's are white, with a golden tint, and Dr. M's are a deep brown with a white on the inside of them. Both Total and Akila also got wings of their own and puppies too. Up here it's peaceful and I've never been happier.

I grabbed Max's hand and pecked her forehead. We were followed by the flock, the full flock, and we flew. We flew over our paradise to the waterfalls. From there we had fun and enjoyed not being on the run. Having a reliable food source. Having each other and for the first time in her life time Max relaxed and let her guard down. This time nothing happened. Because our angels were finally home.


End file.
